The Quiet Ones
by SarahCat1717
Summary: Set early Season 2, the whole team is on hand to bring down a unique rift-utilizing smuggling operation based in a night club. 2 team members go undercover and step into the spot light. Ianto/Tosh friendship pairing. Established Janto and pre Tosh/Owen ship. Not sold on it yet? 3 words: Ianto Jones dances.
1. Chapter 1

The team of Torchwood 3 assembled in the conference room, tempted from their work stations more so by the scent of strong coffee than anything else. Once everyone was clutching their individual special orders from the suited butler turned field-agent, Jack stood and nodded to the petite technician to activate the wall screen. In between sips from his blue and white striped mug he shared that the night club in question, called "Needful Things", was brought to his attention by British intelligence.

"It seems one of the contractors that is used to equip British government sites with bug-jamming equipment had been doing some free-lancing with technology that was supposed to be only used for places like Thames House. Well, in the process of getting their wrists slapped, they had to give up the names of everyone they equipped with said technology. There were a few paranoid celebrities, some mobster types, but then this location. That in itself, not a big deal, right? Well, the contractor also let it slip that there was some jamming technology that was beyond anything he had ever scene, isolated to the V.I.P. section."

Cued by a another nod from Jack, Tosh took over the briefing. "Breaking past the government grade jamming was child's play and their network was not terribly secure. I called up the CCTV footage archive from their interior security cameras. Here's where it starts to get interesting."

The wall screen split into 4 smaller displays of black and white footage from in the club. As the cameras panned around the bar and dance floor, there was a corner of the club that appeared obscured. Gwen, Owen, and Ianto each leaned in, as if those few extra inches were going to clear up the section of the footage that none could make out.

"It's not your eyes kids, it's a nifty little piece of security technology that is masking that whole section of the club from being recorded by anything electronic."

"Technology that is beyond anything anyone outside of Torchwood or maybe UNIT should have access to at this point in time." added Tosh. "And, nothing shows up when I run a rift-detection scan. But in Cardiff, 'nothing' is what makes that little tidbit concerning." She called up a digital diagram of the city and zoomed into the city block that the club is on. All over the display colors ebbed and flowed like subtle waves on a pond. But as she further zoomed into the club itself, there was an obvious black space.

Using a laser pointer now, Tosh circled the area. "This space is devoid of the daily, always-present low-level readings from our noisy neighbor know as the rift."

"So in trying to hide something, they tipped themselves off by hiding it too well?" ventured the doctor while leaning back in his chair.

"Exactly!" Nodded Tosh with a bright smile, like a teacher to her star student, or maybe to teacher's pet.

"So how do we find out what they are hiding?" Questioned Gwen.

"PC Cooper! Have you been in Torchwood too long to remember good old-fashioned police work?" Jack teased. "I made a couple of field trips to the club, armed with nothing but my baby blues and a vintage keyhole spy camera that still uses real film. The VIP section is protected from any devices that utilize digital technology, but it is still visible to the naked eye and, therefore, traditional film." Jack handed a file to Ianto who dutifully handed out stacks of shiny glossies to the rest of the team before settling back down with his own copies.

"According to a search conducted by Mr. Jones of local government records, that lovely couple holding court in the expansive booth with the best view of the dance floor is Jeremy and Elena Brookfield. They purchased the property about a year and a half ago. The club has now been in operation for the last 14 months. From my recon I have been able to gather that the club serves two purposes. One, it is an opportunity to conduct their business in the safety and excitement of in plain site."

"What business is that exactly?" Asked Owen.

"Smuggling, of sorts. See that lovely crystal center piece in the middle of their table? Well, it _appears _there around midnight on certain nights. Then they are in business. The Brookfields have their clients come to the club when it is right in full swing. They pay a substantial amount in order to commune with that trinket, and then there is what looks like a mini rift-event, and something comes through for the client."

"What kinds of things are coming through, and what kind of money are we talking about?" Gwen interrupted, sifting through the pictures.

"On the 2 times I visited, there were about 3 clients each night. Each client received something different." Jack explained. "One night one guy looked disgruntled, started loudly demanding his money back but was ushered out by security. I took a chance on his needing someone to complain to, so I followed him out and got him talking. He said he dropped a cool million on the chance to hold the crystal. He was informed by some equally-wealthy friends of his that it was reported to give the customer what they need most in the world. He was warned that sometimes it makes sense and sometimes it doesn't, but he didn't expect what he got." Jack left them hanging and took a dramatically long sip from his mug as he gazed around the room.

With an eye roll Ianto finally piped up "Okay Jack, I'll bite, tell us what it was!"

Jack's eyes glinted and he couldn't hold back a rye smile "A swiss army knife, and not even a great one"

"I'd be pissed too!" Owen said with a huff.

Jack sat down now and got more serious. "Well, he was, and so he chucked it in the garbage cans. Which was too bad. His name was John Stevens. The news hit the papers yesterday that millionaire entrepreneur John Stevens lost control of his jaguar while out for a high-speed country drive. His car flipped over into a canal. Trapped by his seat belt, Mr. Stevens died in two feet of water. Maybe that crappy knife would have come in handy, eh?"

"Shit!" Owen breathed out.

"So why are we concerned about this Jack?" Asked Gwen "I mean, giving people what they need seems harmless enough."

"Let me put it this way, what if the next Hitler visits Needful Things, slaps down his money, and gets what he needs to survive an assassination attempt, or what he needs to destroy his enemies. This is messing with the order of things and could seriously throw off destined time lines." Jack warned.

"What was the other thing?" Ianto said, his brow furrowed in thought. "You said the club served two purposes, so what was the other purpose?"

"This is where is gets fun, and where we find a way to get in closer..." Jack's fingers flitted over his key board and then about a half-dozen images from the CCTV footage started popping up on the wall screen. In each picture, the Brookfields emerge from the cloudy, distorted image that indicated the VIP seating. They mingle on the dance floor, getting very personal with another couple here and there, and then re-enter the fog of the exclusive area with a lucky couple in tow. "It seems the Brookfields like to swing! When business is over they get a lucky couple from dance floor, invite them to the VIP section for drinks and flirting, and then they leave together in their private limo."

Jack stood, clapped his hands together once, and looked around mischievously at his team. "So! Who likes to dance?"

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Author's note: So there's the set-up! This multi-chapter fun frolic will include some of our team showing off their dancing skills and others allowing their jealousy to show through a bit. Should be fun! Remember, it's always the quiet ones that will surprise you! Please review if you feel moved to and if you have any questions or constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Captain Jack Harkness hid his guilty smile behind his coffee cup as he stared out at four faces each doing a smashing impersonation of a dear caught in headlights. These were four brilliant, brave souls who fought aliens and cannibals and yet they were each clearly frightened of having to dance in public as part of a mission.

Owen finally broke the strained silence "Wait a minute Jack, why do we even have to go through all the trouble of an undercover rouse to get at the device? Why not just go in there copper-style, clear the club, and confiscate it."

"In this case I think the more subtle approach will be best. They have several security guards, stun gun equipped, and there are lots of club patrons. Too many variables for a team our size to manage. Then there is the device itself. When I say it 'appeared' around midnight I mean it looked like it just kind of phased into existence. I don't think it was cloaked like the invisible lift. Judging by the looks on the faces of the Brookfields when it showed up, kind of an expectant relief, I don't even think they have control over it. My best guess is that they don't and are just the fortunate benefactors of being in the right place at the right time when that thing hits our corner of space and time. They figured out how to conjure the genie from the bottle and now it is making them rich."

"Ok, so what's the plan when we get close to it then?" asked Tosh, peering over the top of her sensible spectacle frames, problem-solving face now replacing the shocked expression of moments prior.

"I was hoping you had some ideas on that Tosh. We either need to disable its abilities to pull these needed objects through time and space, or we need to find a way to stop it from visiting Needful Things all together. What do you think?" questioned Jack hopefully.

Tosh dropped her eyes a bit nervously and she tucked herself behind the cover of her laptop screen as she replied slowly "I think...that it's a good thing I took those dance lessons because, no offense Gwen, but I think my skills will be needed when we get close to that thing. If I can figure out how it is making its way in and out of our time/space location then maybe I can block its return...make us less palatable at least..."she trailed off.

A brief but noticeable wave of relief washed over the only other female team-member when Gwen realized she was off the hook, followed quickly by a warm smile and the question "Tosh! You took dance lessons? You have been holding out on us, love!"

Toshiko's cheeks blushed sweetly in a manner that even had Owen smiling in spite of himself. "I, umm, well it was after the whole thing with Mary actually." Her voice dropped a little at the vocalization of the human name of the alien that had manipulated Tosh. "I knew I was at risk for falling into a bit of a depression so I thought I should try something different. Something that did not involve Torchwood or staring at a computer screen. So I started taking partner-dancing lessons at a studio in my neighborhood. I still go about once a month or so when I have the time. The instructor and I are friends. Greg says I am quite good and we show off a bit for his newer students."

Owen audibly cleared his throat. "Greg, hmm?"

"It's nothing like that. He is happily married to a lovely wedding-cake baker named Ted." she said with a pout.

"SSsssooooooo" Gwen teased, her wide smile showing off the gap between her front teeth, "that leaves the question of the lucky gentleman! Who will it be boys" She drummed her hands on the table, drum roll style.

Tosh's enamored eyes briefly flitted over Owen, disappointed to find him scowling at his folded hands.

"That's easy!" interjected Jack in a matter-of-fact tone "Ianto, you're going in."

"What? Why me?" Ianto asked, a little louder than he planned to.

"Because you fit the age and look of the men that the Brookfields usually hone in on...mid twenties, attractive, well-groomed and well-dressed..."

"Not that I'm complaining mind you but what am I, Quasi Moto over here?" Owen piped in.

Standing up to signal the meeting was coming to a close, Jack gestured with his mug at the two younger men in the room. "Can you dance like the couples on those video clips Owen? That isn't just drunken grinding up against one another that catches the eye of our discerning club owners. It's the real thing. You up to it Dr.?"

"No, but how do you know the Tea-boy is? Oh, don't tell me...all those times you say you are going weevil-hunting together you are actually out hitting the local ballrooms, eh?" Owen dared to venture as he was picking up his binders to go.

"Nope. No clandestine ballroom excursions. We actually do go weevil hunting, more or less" punctuating his innuendo with a patented Capt. Jack Harkness smirk and eye brow wag. "I just...know."

The rest of the team filed out with pointed glances and hushed giggling. Ianto was suddenly concentrating very hard on placing all the cups back on the silver serving tray, his ears tinged with red.

As Jack crossed behind him to exit also, Ianto quickly turned and stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Jack? How _did _you know I could dance? We've never been out dancing and I never told you about the lessons I took when I was at University." Ianto shyly questioned, his hand lingering longer than need be.

After a quick glance assured that their coworkers were out of sight and earshot, Jack stepped closer and slipped one hand in between Ianto's suit and waistcoat, stroking just above his right hip. Jack gently pulled Ianto close enough that when Jack whispered in the Welshman's ear, Ianto could feel Jack's breath.

"I can tell by every move you make. If it's holding a gun or passing out papers, everything you do is so graceful and yet strong...it's like you are set to music."

Ianto couldn't help but close his eyes and turn just enough to brush cheek to cheek with Jack, breathing in his scent.

Jack smiled at the favorable response of his modest lover. He shifted his stance just enough that their hips were now nearly flush against one another, Jacks's hands now resting on Ianto's waist on either side.

"But you know how I can really tell?" Jack's voice dropped to a more seductive, raspy tone.

Ianto's eyes were wide with questioning curiosity now. He always felt surprised when he found himself to be the center of the legendary Captain Jack Harkness's affections, even after months of sharing his bed more nights than not.

"How?" He breathily stammered a moment later.

"I can tell by the way you move your hips when we..."

Ianto could feel the smile on Jack's lips as he lost the last bit of that phrase in a kiss.

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Ooh! That was fun! Love the Janto feels! Let me know what you think! Did I get the board-room banter right? I am always open to comments, questions, observations and suggestions! Reviews make my day! I am currently working out the technical side of how to foil this little device so let me know if you have any thoughts on that matter.


	3. Chapter 3

In the following days the rest of Torchwood 3 saw little of Toshiko Sato besides the back of her head as she stayed practically glued to her multiple computer monitors. Occasionally she moved to the nearby work bench and was soldering intricate, delicate circuitry. Thankfully, there was no rift activity that was pressing enough to pull her from her work. Ianto stopped by at regular intervals with coffee or her favorite blend of green tea, expertly judging which was called for based on how tired or wired the petite technician appeared. Usually so gracious, Tosh's barely mumbled "thanks" was a testament to how enthralled she was in her work.

At lunch on Thursday, Ianto joined the others in the board room after dropping off a small bowl of ramen at Tosh's work station. As he was sitting down Gwen was commenting "Well at least she's got in her ear buds to listen to music. The poor woman needs to do something to unwind when she is working herself to the bone."

"I wonder what music she fancies?" Owen pondered out loud.

"She's not listening to music." Ianto stated matter-of-factly, digging out servings from the white cartons scattered across the table.

"Oh really? What then? Oh god I hope it's not something like computer lectures...just knowing that would bore me to death on her behalf" groused the doctor.

"She's listening to the rift. She devised a program that converts the energy that the rift detector picks up into sound waves. This way she can monitor it even when she is involved heavily in another project. She says that, after a while, it does sound like music. Listening to that is what lead to some of her breakthroughs with the rift prediction programming."

Owen Harper was rendered momentarily speechless. "Well that's..." he started, somewhat breathlessly "that's actually bloody brilliant, isn't it."

The rest of the team present stopped mid mouthful to fully take in the rare occasion of Dr. Harper issuing a non-sarcastic, genuine compliment.

A moment later he shook himself from the revelry of gazing down through the window at Tosh toiling away. "Tea-boy, how do you know all this anyway?" The question was issued with a little more vinegar than such a question should entail, but this was Owen after all.

"I bothered to ask." was the cool reply of the suited man as he tucked a white linen napkin in his collar.

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Later that day, Gwen and Owen had already headed out for the day. Ianto was doing one final pass around the Hub, garbage bag in hand. Next stop would be dropping off a dead chicken in Myfanwy's roost, and then he would be free to go as well.

Tosh was hunched over her work, small sparks leaping up every few seconds. She wore no protective gloves, but she was so focused on the task at hand she didn't flinch as the tiny glowing bits bounced off her lilt hands.

Jack descended the stairs from his office. Passing by Ianto he paused briefly to stroke the younger man's back and exchange small smiles. Jack continued over to where Toshiko finally sat back and gave a satisfied sigh, surveying her work. He approached and with a gentle and reverent "May I?" Jack may appear to most as more of the pirate type, but he had a heart-felt love of geeky gadgets. Some of his happiest moments were spent waist-deep in the wiring of the TARDIS.

Tosh moved over and let Jack get a better look at the intricate wiring, circuitry, and other delicate hardware. Since nothing like this has ever been invented before, she built every last bit from scratch.

Jack's hands hovered over the two almost-complete components as he wiggled his fingers and asked "So it will all line up like..."

"Yes! Exactly!" Tosh responded, understanding his gesturing to be accurate. "Now granted I need to get close enough to actually hold it but then it should only take a few moments to hone in on the resonance the device operates on and erase its memory of and ability to re-enter our unique time/space signature. I don't know how exactly the device at the club works, so I built in several ways of scanning and altering it. At least one of them should have the desired effect...I hope."

"Tosh! This is AMAZING! YOU are amazing." Jack swept her up in a bear hug off he ground and spun her around.

"Oi! I thought she was my dance partner, sir!" Called Ianto light-heartedly as he came up from the autopsy bay.

Tosh giggled and blushed at the lavish attention, dizzy from the affection and her fatigue all at once.

"I have a few finishing touches to work but it should be ready in time for tomorrow night. From reviewing the CCTV footage from the club of the device's appearances over time, I developed a program that predicts with great certainty that it will next appear then. Oh and I also need to stop at the stores to pick up something to adequately disguise the two components."

"Tosh, go home! You deserve a rest. I'll take care of that bit of shopping for you. It's the least I can do for all the hard work you put in this week." Jack countered with his best boss-voice in place.

Toshiko rubbed the bridge of her nose between two fingers and felt her eyelids getting heavier by the moment.

"Yes sir, Captain Harkness!" she replied with a small smile and weak mock-salute. She gathered up her cardigan and purse and headed home.

As the cog door rolled shut behind her, Ianto re-appeared on the scene, annoyed concentration on his brow as he picked downy feathers from his sleeves.

"Ianto! Do you have any plans for this evening?" Jack asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"I thought we were going to go to my place tonight, yeah?"

"Well, we need to stop off and do some shopping on the way there. I need to pick up a little something for Tosh. Besides, tomorrow night is show time! Which reminds me...do you own anything without pinstripes, Jones?"

Several stores, dressing rooms, and one embarrassed store clerk later, Ianto Jones owned some items that did not, in fact, have grey pinstripes.

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Sorry it has taken several days for an update! I had some unexpected company and other real-life stuff getting in the way. But for the last 2 days my brain has been buzzing with ideas! I sorted out some details I needed to for this fic and I am excited about 2 more TW fics plus possibly a TW/Sherlock cross-over. Yeah!

Please let me know what you think! Reviews absolutely make my day. And of course if you have questions or something just doesn't make sense, let me know! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Toshiko Sato was never late for work. It just didn't happen.

So imagine her disbelief and the several heart-pounding moments spent considering reasons why her clock must be wrong when she woke up at 10:06am on the day that she was giving her new invention its maiden voyage and, oh yeah, had to dance well enough to capture the sexual attention of the two people in possession of a piece of alien technology. The petite woman launched herself out of bed, showered in record time, threw on the first items she could lay her hands on and ran out the door with her ebony hair still wet.

When Tosh entered the Hub she dropped her bags off at her desk, and ran up the stairs two at a time to the board room, knowing that the mission briefing for the day should be underway. She practically fell into the room, apologizing frantically, just as everyone else was getting up to go.

"Oh god, Jack, I am so sorry! How unprofessional of me!"

Jack smiled and patted her back. "Take it easy Tosh! You exhausted yourself this week and I need you rested for tonight. Ianto can brief you on the details you two need to know for inside the club. So go let the Welshman poor you one of his magical coffees and get you up to speed. You have plenty of time to make the final adjustment to your amazing gadgets and we'll all be ready to roll out around 9pm."

"Thanks Jack...but really, I'm so sorry." she adds with an embarrassed blush.

Toshiko and Ianto sit on the stools by the elaborate barista machine as he informs her of the plan. Ianto and Tosh will arrive at the club together in the convertible sports car that the team keeps conveniently forgetting to turn into the police following the blowfish incident several months back. The rest of the team will park nearby in the SUV, monitoring the situation via the CCTV signal that Tosh hacked into. Due to the noise in the club, the signal-jamming issues, and the need for discretion, both Ianto and Tosh will leave their coms at home, instead each be wearing a set of the contact lenses that can transmit all they see back to the rest of the team. In order to communicate, each will just need to look at the other for the lip-reading software to pick up on the message. It should work well in the crowded nightclub setting.

Tosh gets a wicked little grin that she tries to hide behind her coffee cup.

"What?" Ianto asks with a mock-serious glare.

Tosh takes a moment to wonder about how he does that. Ianto can speak volumes with just the lift of an eyebrow and then later can close off his face and give nothing away. She tucks that thought away for future contemplation then responds "I've always wanted to try those. But in a way there's a bit of risk too. Don't want to stare too long at anything in particular or before you know it all your co-workers know exactly what or who you are into, you know?"

"Oh god, I hadn't thought of that." Ianto replies gravely. "Jack is going to see everything I look at. He'll find something to comment about."

Tosh giggles a little as she hops off her stool. "Ianto you could be cleaning out the weevil cells and Jack could find something to comment about."

Ianto turns away to cover his smile under the guise of giving the coffee machine its morning cleaning. _If only they knew the half of it._

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Tosh works on her project throughout the day. She gets it to where she wants it and then (because she is Tosh) she spends an additional hour or two double-checking everything and improving upon her original design.

Since everyone was staying late for tonight's outing, around 6pm they all gathered in the conference room for a dinner of take away sandwiches and salads. The mood is uncharacteristically light since this mission is not expected to be particularly dangerous and it does involve the deliciously embarrassing necessity of two team members dancing and flirting their way into the private area of the club. There is some good-natured ribbing of the quiet, reserved computer genius and the buttoned-up tea-boy.

Jack interjected in between bites "Hey, don't underestimate these two! You know what they say about 'you always have to look out for the quiet ones,' I once knew this mime back in the sixties and let me tell you what he lacked in words he certainly made up for with his hands."

Gwen almost shot soda out of her nose.

Owen packed up the rest of is sandwich and dead-panned "Thank you for that Jack, just when I thought mimes couldn't possibly get any creepier..."

And with that everyone started rising from the table in various stages of giggling or head-shaking.

Jack quickly switched into leader-mode like flicking a switch. "Okay, Gwen and Owen you two prep the SUV with everything we'll need for tonight. I know Ianto usually does that but let's give him and Tosh some time to shower and get all gussied up for their roles in tonight's game."

At that Tosh audibly gasped. Her hands flew up to her face just as the color was draining out of it. "Oh my god! I have nothing to wear! I was so concerned with completing the transport-jamming devices, and with running late this morning, it completely slipped my mind!"

Gwen jumped into problem-solving mode now, as clearly the men in the room seemed vexed by this girly dilemma. "It's okay Tosh. I live close and you and I are about the same size. You come to my flat and we'll pick out something suitable, okay? I'll even do your makeup and hair for you, love. It will be fun! Like a make-over! But you know, for the purpose of fooling an alien device smuggling operation run by two swingers."

Still looking shocked at her own carelessness, Tosh allowed herself to be led out of the board room, pulled along by a comforting hand from Gwen. Jack caught up with them just before they left out the cog door. He handed Tosh a long, slender, flat black box with a red satin bow on it.

"I almost forgot! I did that bit of shopping for you last night. They had a nice variety at a vintage shop we found. Ianto tried to steer me towards something more simple and elegant but when I saw these I thought they would be perfect for tonight. Hope you like them."

The Captain shuffled his scuffed shoes a moment then quickly leaned in and pecked Tosh on the cheek. He whispered in her ear "You are going to do great." Then, with a wink, he was off to help Owen.

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Back at Gwen's flat, Rhys was quickly banished to the local pub so that the girls could get down to business.

Gwen started digging through the back of her closet, the part that housed her "girl's night out" clothes that she rarely got to indulge in since her employment at Torchwood. Tosh sat on the bed, still absent-mindedly holding the box Jack gave her.

"So? Are you going to open this mysterious gift from Jack?" Gwen asked eagerly, her arms weighed down with garments made of sequins, satin, and leather.

Tosh obliged her co-worker's curiosity and slowly slid off the bow, then opened the box. She opened the black tissue paper and both women gasped. In the box lay a pair of black silk gloves long enough to reach just past the elbow. Tosh lifted one to inspect it, quickly noting that these would perfectly conceal the devices that she designed that would adhere to her hands, running along her forearms and fingertips. As she turned it over she and Gwen again simultaneously gasped. All along the outer portion of the glove, weaving in between the row of buttons, was a series of intricately embroidered red and gold dragons.

Tosh was suddenly pulled from the daze she had been in since leaving the Hub. When she looked to Gwen she saw that the other woman too now understood what look they were shooting for that night. They mirrored sly, wicked smiles at one another. It was the kind of smile that women share when they are reminded of the power that they can wield when the situation calls for it.

"Right then. Let's get to work."

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_So these last two chapters have been pretty Tosh-centric, but I have really enjoyed giving her the spot light for a while. Upcoming chapters, which will also contain the club-dancing scene, will be more equally balanced with Ianto and we'll get some cute moments of jealousy from unlikely sources. Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing so far! PLease let me know what you think! I am always open to suggestions and questions. _

_PS - Was the mime joke too cheesy even for Jack? I honestly don't know how it happened. I was going for something different then that crazy Jack line popped into my head and I actually laughed out loud when I saw it in print. _


	5. Chapter 5

There is a locker and shower room in Torchwood. Usually it is utilized when people need to wash off alien blood and other goo. It's a bit utilitarian. So Ianto gladly accepted Jack's offer for him to use Jack's quarters and private bathroom for his primping needs that evening. It's not like he hasn't been down there before. He just usually wasn't alone.

Ianto shaved carefully, enjoying the chance to borrow Jack's vintage brush and bottled shave cream. As he ran the blade over his jaw and cheeks he wasn't thinking of his own features but that of the man in the whose office was above. He wondered it Jack would ever let him shave his face for him. It seemed so...intimate. After losing himself in that revelry for a moment he splashed some cold water on his face with two pale hands. A few years ago he could have never guessed he would be wondering breathlessly about how sexy it would be to shave his boss's face. Or, _oh god, _to have Jack stand behind him, reaching around with strong, tan arms, and running a cool straight-edged blade across his flushed cheeks and neck. He could almost smell the 51st century pheromones mixed with the scent of the worn leather wrist strap the immortal man was never without.

More cold water splashing followed this train of thought, even though all the shaving cream was already gone.

Ianto laid out the contents of the garment bags he brought down with him. Jack was adamant that Ianto should get clothes to play the part. Instead of the usual business-suit style, the pants he now donned on were a more fitted cut with a flat front and a bit snug in the rear. They were solid black save for a slightly shiny tuxedo-like stripe down the outer seem of each leg. Ianto had chosen a nicely-fitted black dress shirt to accompany it. Before he got to the dressing room, Jack grabbed it from his hands and traded it for the next size down. Ianto had rolled his eyes at the time but by the way his Captain looked at him when he stepped out of the dressing room, it was a good thing. He was quickly pushed back into the dressing room, and not alone this time. He left the poor store clerk a generous tip and later accessed their security cameras to wipe the footage...after possibly burning a copy of it onto his personal hard drive.

The next store had yielded a black waistcoat to top off the look. The lining was red, as was the kerchief in the pocket, Jack's favorite. Ianto wondered when exactly it happened that he started choosing what to wear based on what Jack liked to see him in. The Welshman guessed that, subconsciously, it was actually since the first time Jack uttered the words "Love the suit."

After donning his shoes and fidgeting with his hair a bit, Ianto realized that tonight he had to keep in mind that he wasn't just dressing for Jack. He was going to have to actively flirt with the Brookfields, all while dancing with and acting like he is in a relationship with his friend and colleague, Miss Toshiko Sato. AND, his every move would be watched, from several angles, by his other co-workers, one of whom he happens to be sleeping with.

Ianto took a few deep breaths in front of the foggy mirror, bracing himself for the night ahead. One last look at his own reflection, and he bounded up the ladder to the office above, calm visage in place once again.

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It happened perfectly that as Ianto was exiting Jack's office, the captain and the resident doctor were returning from the autopsy bay, and the alarms for the cog-door entrance were sounding. Jack had just enough time to flash an incredibly bright smile at his young lover before being interrupted by Gwen clearing her throat in a fashion that hinted she wanted the class's attention.

With a bit of fanfare she announced "I present to you...the elegant, the ravishing, Toshiko Sato!"

Tosh stepped through the doorway with far too much grace than one would think anyone could manage with the high heels she was wearing. She felt the eyes on her male co-workers sweep over her as if they were a dizzying tide. Although blushing, she steeled her expression and met each of their gazes through her long, lush lashes.

Her smokey eyes first met those of her dance partner for the evening. Ianto smiled warmly and silently mouthed "wow", nervously running one hand through his hair.

She grinned in return, aware of the soft texture of the velvety red lipstick Gwen had insisted made her look fantastic.

"Miss Sato!" Jack announced as he strode over to meet her. He took up one of her gloved hands in his and kissed it. "You never cease to amaze me Tosh." he said fondly. "Do you like the gloves?"

"They are perfect Jack, thank you."

She finally made herself look over to Owen. His eyes slowly mapped out every inch of her and she swore the doctor had developed the ability of x-ray vision. She felt suddenly exposed, or like a little girl caught playing dress-up. The insecurities that had been disguised by a black short skirt and red silk draped halter top were all laid bare.

Then Owen's eyes met Tosh. For just a second she thought his breath hitched, thought she saw something new. Desire? Interest? Realization? Her heart fluttered. But then in the next moment it was gone. Owen Harper's usual look of nonchalant disinterest returned.

"You cleaned up nice Tosh." he stated flatly, as if obligated to give a compliment, and started fiddling with some things at the nearby work station.

"Thanks" she replied quietly.

Tosh then went to her desk, removed her gloves, and started to carefully attach the devices to her hands and arms. Jack and Gwen exchanged sympathetic glances then wandered up to the board room. Ianto went to grab a round of coffee for the final pre-mission briefing. Owen hung back, busily looking busy.

After a few moments he realized that Tosh was making increasingly frustrated little vocalizations from where she sat stooped over her desk.

"Problem Tosh?"

"Yes. The adhesive pads I was using to affix this to my hands were working fine earlier but they won't stick now! I suspect it might have to do with the hand cream I used at Gwen's place. I've tried wiping it off but they still won't...ugh!"

"Take it easy genius" Owen teased, but without the usual bite. He reached into the doctor's kit nearby and produced a roll of medical tape. "ta-da!

"Oh Owen you are a savior! Would you mind?" as she held out her two arms to him, the devices half-affixed and half slipping off.

Owen cleared his throat. "Yeah, sure."

They sat side by side and he worked in silence, carefully wrapping the med tape around enough spots on her delicate fingers and wrists to have them stay put. She watched his scarred but well-made hands at work. For all those times that he holds a gun in his grip, they are still the healing hands of a doctor.

Tosh watches his hands so intently that she does not notice the stolen glances that linger on her neck and the silken, vanilla-hued expanse of her exposed back. He ventures a casual sigh that brushes across her pulse-point. Instantly he is rewarded by the sight of goosebumps springing up across her neck and shoulders. She visibly shudders.

Even as the reflexive quip is leaving his lips he is regretting it.

"Cold Tosh? Can't see why seeing considering Gwen only provided you with the front half of a shirt."

Tosh flinches her hands from his ministrations.

"I think I can manage from here Owen. Thanks"

"Right, well, be careful out there tonight, okay Tosh? I mean it."

And with that he hurried up the stairs to the board room as well, almost knocking the tray from Ianto as he passes.

Ianto was standing there silently for several minutes, observing the exchange on the ground floor of the Hub.

Tosh caught the soft and empathetic look from her soon-to-be dance partner. She grabbed the silk gloves from her desk and joined him on the landing.

"Well at least he was being a bit protective...in an obnoxious big brother kind of way." she remarked a bit sadly.

"Tosh, let me let you in on a little secret." Ianto said somewhat hushed. "I never looked at my sister the way Owen looks at you when you're not looking. And a conversation with a sibling certainly never resulted in my pupils dilating and my respirations quickening the way that one Dr. Harper was just exhibiting as he passed by a minute ago."

He expertly shifted the silver tray to one hand and extended the other arm to his friend.

"C'mon Tosh, let's have some fun."

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So what did you think? I felt like we needed a little more build-up before the club scene. Questions? Comments? I love reviews more than Myfanwy loves chocolate (preferably dark). Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's notes: For the purpose of making it easier for you, the reader, anything that comes across in text to Ianto and Tosh via the contact lenses will be in bold, with their initial in front to indicate who sees what message. _

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After the equipment was checked and the two sets of contacts applied, the team headed out for Needful Things in their respective vehicles. The overall plan was pretty straightforward. Ianto and Tosh would enter the club, casually mingle until the device made its appearance. While the proprietors were carrying on the business of the evening, the couple would take the dance floor and do their damnedest to get noticed. Once in the VIP section, the rest of the team would enter the club and fan out, since at that point they would be cut off from electronic communication with Ianto and Tosh. A signal had been worked out in case a distraction was needed in order to get the device into Tosh's discretely wired hands. Then, if all went well, the device should go "poof!", or something like that, and then the tall Welshman and his petite dance partner bid their farewells to the (most likely disappointed) Mr. and Mrs. Brookfield.

The ride there in the black convertible (with the top up thankyouverymuch) was filled with a charged silence.

"Sssoooooo...this should be interestin', especially since we didn't get a chance to practice or anything this week. And I for one haven't dance in years." the baritone driver finally offered.

"I'm so sorry I was so busy this week making the rift-disrupter gloves, Ianto. But I'm sure you'll do fine. On the other hand I am starting to wonder if maybe my instructor was just being kind all those months of lessons. But I guess it's a bit too late for either one of us to dwell on it for too long now, huh?" offered Tosh with a nervous chuckle.

"Yup. Well we'll just take it easy at first and scope out any possible competition. I mean, it's like out running a tiger, right?"

"Pardon?" Tosh asked.

"Yeah, you know. You don't have to outrun the tiger as long as you outrun the other guy who's running. So we just need to be better than the other couples that seem like the type the Brookfields go for. And you look positively gorgeous so getting noticed won't be an issue." Ianto stated matter-of-factly as Tosh looked on.

**I: Save the flirting for inside the club teaboy**

Ianto chuckled "Well, the contacts link is working perfectly and I am fairly certain that Owen is doing the typing for me."

**I: Yes, Jack is "supervising" and currently driving**

**T: Gwen here for you sweetheart!**

Ianto looked at Tosh sternly and stated for the cameras on her corneas "I am also trying to drive at the moment doctor!"

A few dangerous moments of some colorful texts and subsequent swerving, Tosh decided to stop looking at Ianto all together, therefore cutting off half of the argument. She giggled when she received from Gwen:

**T: Owen says you are no fun. **

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Once the sports car pulled up in front of the club's valet parking everyone was all business again. The SUV took up its position at the end of the block.

For any nerves that he may have been harboring on the car ride over, when Ianto Jones exited the driver's side of the vehicle he wore a mask of cool and composed confidence. He crossed to the other side and opened the door for his companion, taking one of her elegantly gloved hands in his to assist her graceful exit from the sleek black car. He tossed the keys to the valet as if it was something he did all the time and guided the smokey-eyed brunette through the velvet ropes. The bouncers needed only to glance at them to know that their bosses would want the striking couple let through immediately, no waiting and no questioning about being on "the list" required.

As they made their way to the bar, if either were surprised by the way the crowd parted for them to pass they did not let a hint of it cross their faces. The bartender arrived promptly, leaving other patrons waving their money at her, and quickly served them. Ianto and Tosh moved to a raised table overlooking the dance floor that also offered them a clear vantage of the VIP section. With a warm and seductive smile, keeping the character in place, Ianto whispered to Tosh's gaze "So, are the contacts any better than the CCTV cameras in regards to allowing you to see in the VIP section?"

**I: Nope, regular stuff coming through fine though**

**T: No, just more pea soup when you look over there**

A few minutes later:

**I: Jack wanted you to know we have the CCTV accessed just fine, but you will need to tell us about anything interesting going on in the VIP section**

"Got it" Ianto replied to Tosh's eyes before filling her in on that message. Of course to anyone else passing by he was probably telling her about how they should get a room later.

**T: Jack also just mumbled something about Ianto's bedroom eyes.**

**T: and then he reminded me that he is monitoring everything that I am typing to you on his screen...Jack is a wanker. **

The elegant and mysterious looking gloved woman in red did all she could to not inhale the mouth full of martini that she had at that moment. Ianto threw her an accusatory knowing glance she refused to tell him the details. A moment later they both caught the shimmering flash from the VIP section. Anyone else in the club probably thought it was part of the laser light show. But one couple knew that it was a different kind of showtime that was beginning.

Tosh now looked deep into the blue eyes of her escort and whispered "The device is here. It just materialized. They are not wasting any time, the first customer was just shown up to the VIP section by a bouncer."

Ianto rose from his seat and extended a hand. "May I have this dance?"

The dashing couple took the dance floor, not obviously right in front of the VIP section but not too far from it either. Around them there were a small handful of couples who looked like they knew how to do more than gyrate against another body, which is what the rest of the patrons were mostly content to do.

There was the briefest moment of Ianto wondering where to put his hands on his partner, especially considering that most of her back was bare. But after a quick sigh and a little wink to his friend the two melded into one another and started to dance. The song playing was a generic club song with a strong base line and not much else going on, but they turned together and ventured a spin or two and they both started learning how the other moved. For being reportedly out of practice, Ianto led Tosh with confidence and she expertly followed his lead without missing a step. Even though they were just in the warm-up stage, the fairly crowded dance floor started to fall back from the orbit of the attractive and skilled pair. They continued like this through 2 more songs as the Brookfields chatted with their customers and allowed them, one by one, to hold the device and claim the prize that came through. The club-owners clearly felt comfortable enough with their operation and the precautions that they took to allow their eyes to stray to the dance floor occasionally. Tosh batted her eyelashes when she made eye contact with Elena Brookfield, who in turn leaned in to tell her husband something and gestured her glass of champaign in that direction.

Toshiko gazed up at her partner as they still kept pace and said "Just made first eye contact with Mrs. Brookfield who liked what she saw enough to tell Mr. Brookfield."

**T: Good!**

Ianto in turn looked down into brown eyes and added. "Well when they were noticing you I just noticed a problem walking onto the dance floor. Tosh, directly behind me in two more steps...it's the couple we have to outrun."

**I: Spotted them too. Blonde in the silver with legs for miles, right?**

**T: Geez, is that guy a model? Can tell its a fake tan though. **

The portion of Torchwood 3 that was on the dance floor traded annoyed looks.

**T: We didn't mean it like that! You two are awesome :) ;)**

Tosh stepped closer and up on tiptoe to whisper into her partner's ear (her lips out of his view) "You owe me a fiver. Gwen just violated the no emoticon rule."

Taking advantage of her close proximity, Ianto ran a long-fingered hand slowly down Tosh's bare skin from her neck to the small of her back.

**I: Oi! Getting a bit handsy with our coworker, aren't we!**

The taller man now leaned into her ear and whispered "And you owe me a twenty."

The song changed to something a bit more complex and appropriate. With an exchange of quick nods and wry smiles, Ianto and Tosh stepped up their game.

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Sorry to leave you hanging with this short-ish chapter! Necessary in order for me to not fall asleep with my face on my keyboard. Also we will be changing perspective in the upcoming sequence. Our lovely couple will be too busy for us to spy on their inner monologues. We will be seeing what the rest of the team sees.

As always, please do let me know what you think. I like to try to keep things true to character as much as I can. Any reviews, comments or questions are sincerely appreciated. Please do stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Although this is technically not a song fic, I have been usually running the first portion of the dance sequence through my head to either Lights by Ellie Goulding or Don't you Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia. Both have the pace that would be appropriate for the description and both also have a section of the song that slows and picks back up again. The second song featured is Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine. I feel it is very fitting for the Ianto/Jack vibes. It has a more masculine, powerful feel to it, and even the lyrics are quite fitting. So you can skip it or play it or play something else that you like, just thought you may like to know the original inspiration. Hearing those songs on my car radio kept pushing me to compose this whole fic. Both are available on youtube._

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The doctor, the captain and the ex-cop all noticed it at the same time. Three sets of eyebrows simultaneously sprang up out in the parked SUV. On the computer screens they all saw Ianto suddenly straighten his posture as he snapped Tosh flush to his chest. His pale hand flexed against the almond-hued skin of her back, framed by the blood red silk wrapped down her ribs to the small of her back. Toshiko's gloved hand caressed her partner's neck and strayed into his hairline. The start of the song was a sexy and slow build. There were a few sensual, languid steps. Tosh then wrapped her outer leg around Ianto thigh and only their hips moved...but oh how they moved.

Jack unconsciously reached over and rolled his window down a bit and unbuttoned one button on his shirt.

Owen swallowed hard.

Even Gwen felt the need to unzip her leather jacket.

The the music picked up and so did the dancers. With every beat of the ever-quickening pace of the song the two spun - suddenly apart and then suddenly together again. They never missed coming back to hand in hand and hip to hip. Next Tosh was turning with a hand around her waist, then it was deftly switched to a commanding hand on the back of her neck that she leaned trustingly back into as Ianto supported her. With this their knees both bent and her skirt hitched up slightly due to the presence of Ianto's thigh in between hers. The two were then spinning together again with intricate interweaving footwork, eyes locked on one another.

The thick silence in the SUV was broken as the woman in the backseat exclaimed "Wooh! Would you look at them go! Bloody hell they're fantastic!" She beamed with awe a the screen and gestured excitedly.

The two men in the front seat jumped at Gwen's sudden yelp, but at least it prompted both of them to stop their matching impressions of gaping frogs.

Jack recovered and cleared his throat. With his usual frisky grin he said "Told you he could dance."

The doctor's eyes didn't leave the screen. "She's not too shabby either." he replied, a bit deeper and throatier than he intended.

Gwen glanced between her two transfixed co-workers with a smile. She then started clicking through the different views of the action that the CCTV patch offered. She studied her friends and the major competition on side by side screens. The other couple was keeping pace, and the blonde was making good use of those long legs. The shirt on her partner looked as if it would give way any moment under the strain of his muscles.

"Jack, Owen, that other couple is going to give them a run for their money."

The two men gained their composure and got focused back on the task at hand. Through the views from the contact lenses on Ianto and Tosh the team could also see that they were each stealing glances at the competition. The dance floor was practically empty now save for the two couples.

"Ummm, is Torchwood 3 involved in a dance-off?" Owen queried with an air of disbelief.

"It would appear so." replied Gwen.

"Right..." Owen drawled as he tipped his head sideways to make out the dizzying action playing out on screen.

The music's frenzied pace then came to a bridge where the base fell away and there was a pause, the melody in the background hinted that it would spring back to life momentarily. When the song reached this point the opposing couple took to moving against each other like pure vertical sex, while Ianto had opted the cooler option of snapping Tosh out away from him. She spun around him with such fancy footwork that she resembled a gold-medal ice skater. He stood regally and, somehow still in sync with the music, straightened his waist coat, stretched his neck, and shot the other couple a dismissive up and down look. Without even looking at Tosh, Ianto extended a hand and caught her hand in his, ceasing her spin by drawing her into a deep embrace that quickly turned into a dip. Then they were off and running again.

Jack finally chimed in, his voice laced with frustration "They are playing this wrong. This isn't about competing with the skills of the other couple. This is about seducing the Brookfields. I hate not being able to see their reactions to things!" Jack smacked the side of the computer screen in frustration.

"I'm going in." He declared resolutely. "I need to see what the Brookfields are responding too. Being able to read what people _like_...well let's just say that's something I am well-versed in. Let me just sync my wrist strap to send Ianto and Tosh directions. But for now you two stick with their original plan and don't break their concentration by texting across their eyeballs unless its really important. Got it?"

Gwen and Owen indicated their agreement. Jack set out immediately in a swirl of billowing coat. They watched as he approached the emergency exit in the alley, tapped a few keys on his wrist strap, and slipped in the disabled door.

Jack made his way into the throng of the crowd, but hung back far enough to not attract the attention of his team on the dance floor. Ianto and Tosh were whirling and occasionally writhing, sharing the spotlight with the tall shiny couple. Jack silently observed that, although the couples were well-matched in their talents, the blond and her chiseled partner were more into using the dance to show off their physical assets than truly feeling the music. Ianto and Tosh had a classier grace to them. Their dance fit their personalities. Their posture, timing, and precision was outstanding, and yet they improvised well and trusted one another completely. But of course that was the case. These two people had been through several near apocalypses together and routinely watched each other's backs in life and death situations. Toshiko and Ianto were each in their own way a perfect balance of beauty and intellect.

Jack caught himself in his wistful complimentary revelry and got down to the task he came in for. He reluctantly shifted his attention to the Brookfields. The attractive couple were already on their feet, just inside the perimeter of the VIP section. Each clutching a crystal flute of champaign, Jeremy had his arm around Elena's waist and she was snuggled close enough to his side for them to whisper to one another, but their attention was clearly on the dance floor. Jack followed her gaze. Her eyes flitted between the two couples and she seemed to be pleased with both. She would turn to her husband for a chat and look where he directed her. _Ah! _Thought Jack. _She is happy with either set of contenders and will defer to his choice then. So who do you fancy Mr. Brookfield?_

Jack followed Jeremy Brookfield's eyes as the proprietor of Needful Things unabashedly licked his lips. It didn't take Jack's trained eye long to catch it. Whenever one of the couples moved apart briefly in their dance, Jeremy's eyes consistently followed the male's movements. When he watched the statuesque man dancing with the blonde, Jeremy was clearly impressed with his muscular physic. His eyes widened as the man easily lifted his partner, causing his back to ripple under his skin-tight shirt. But as the two couples maneuvered in such a way that Ianto and Tosh twirled in Jeremy's line of sight again, his eyes followed the black-clad Ianto. When the Welshman moved his hips Jeremy Brookfield tilted his head and a small smile spread across his lips that gave him the appearance of being positively tipsy, but Jack suspected it had more to do with Ianto Jones than the glass of champaign. Jack knew from experience. If he let himself stare for too long he would probably be wearing that same look.

But the problem was that Ianto wasn't returning the lustful look, and so Jeremy went back to admiring the taller eye candy. The blonde partners seemed to love the attention of the Brookfields and, although their dancing technique suffered for it, they were playing it up and blatantly flirting back. So it was becoming a battle between the preening peacocks and the black swans.

The DJ deftly slid the upbeat dance to a more progressive sounding tune. The vocalist had a haunting voice that Jack briefly noted as having similarities to the style that was popular in the Andarian Quadrant when he had the pleasure of visiting that part of the galaxy in his time-agent days. Although the singer was a female the music had a decidedly strong male vibe to it. Jack wondered if the DJ was mildly empathic and read that this would be fitting for the show down that was playing out.

So it would come down to Ianto then to focus some receptive attention on Jeremy Brookfield if the Torchwood team was going to be successful on their mission. Jack looked to Ianto to see if he was also picking up on this as well.

Jack's breath caught in his chest when he felt Ianto's piercing blue eyes focused on him. Even with Jack tucked away in the shadows of the crowd Ianto had found him. Although he was still fully involved in the dance, it was as if Ianto only had eyes for Jack. The room and the crowd and the mission and the world seemed to fall away for a few long moments.

That haunting voice coming over the speakers and the blue eyes across the dance floor were all that were left in Jack's awareness.

_A falling star fell from your heart_

_And landed in my eyes_

_I screamed aloud, as it tore through them_

_And now it's left me blind_

Thankfully a large and uncoordinated bar patron fell against Jack heavily, apologizing sloppily. It broke the spell that had frozen Jack in place and had distanced Ianto from fully participating in the challenge at hand. Jack knew what would work now to get his team up near the device. He quickly typed the message into his wrist strap.

**I: Jeremy is the key and he is making his decision based on the men. It's up to you. Pull out all the stops. I know you can do this.**

Jack saw the momentary self-doubt flash across his lover's face. But then he saw him squint in concentration. Ianto glanced back at Jack and let his eyes sweep over his captain from head to toe and back again. He then gave his a swift nod and leaned in to whisper something to his dance partner.

Out in the parked SUV, Owen was moaning in annoyance whilst yelling at the computer screen. "When are Jack and Ianto going to quit eye-fucking one another long enough for Ianto to get one with getting in there then?! We should have never let him go in there. Bloody Harkness!"

As if in response to the unheard complaints of the doctor, Ianto and Toshiko took their dance right up to the front of the VIP section. They took full advantage of the driving beat of the song. Ianto made sure that at the completion of every turn he was left facing the Brookfields. He captured and held Jeremy's gaze with a fierceness. There was no confusion or ambiguousness left in the heat of that look. To her credit, Toshiko also kicked her seductiveness up about 10 notches. She batted her long lashes and licked her parted, panting red lips. She let her lips graze down Ianto's jaw line slowly.

Within seconds the Brookfields abandoned their champaign flutes and started to descend the three stairs to the dance floor. Jeremy took his wife in his arms and they began to turn and twist among the two couples there. The Brookfields moved with a sexual fluidity that allowed them to weave close to each couple so that it was almost difficult to tell who was dancing with who at times. The tall couple broke apart and briefly paired off the the Brookfields, Jeremy then spinning the leggy shimmering woman as Elena was happily plastered up against the abs and chest of fair-haired adonis. When they met up again Elena giggled in her husband's ear, clearly pleased with that possibility for the evening. But she looked to him for his opinion, just as Jack had surmised.

Jeremy deftly spun them over to Ianto and Tosh as the music was reaching a dramatic crescendo. But as the Brookfields attempted the same partner trading maneuver again, Ianto had anticipated it. With a few quick subtle extra steps, Ianto guided the hand he took from Mrs. Brookfield into the awaiting delicate gloved grip of Toshiko. He then turned and masterfully, firmly, swept Jeremy into his embrace. Jeremy's eyes flashed, his breath faltered momentarily, and he was allowing Ianto to lead before it even registered in his suddenly lust-addled brain that his feet were moving.

Ianto held him so dangerously close that the two men were practically sharing the same breath. Jeremy's pupils were blown so wide that his irises were barely visible. But as focused they were on one another's eyes, their feet moved in a mesmerizing series of steps that were reminiscent of a tango. Jeremy's eyes shifted to the full, soft lips of his mysterious dance partner and he started to lean in. But just then he was spun out away from Ianto. When the two came back together Ianto gave a cheeky wink and smile that made Jeremy giggle much like his wife had moments before.

Speaking of Mrs. Brookfield, she was currently wrapped along the back of Toshiko, Elena's chest pressed against Tosh's bare shoulder blades. Elena's hands were on Tosh's hip bones as Tosh in turn had her arms raised up and behind her, tangled in Elena's loose curls. They two women's faces were turned toward one another over Tosh's shoulder, small wicked smiles on both sets of lips. Their bodies rocked in unison as one feminine fluid wave.

"Jesus" uttered Owen Harper.

"What was that Owen?" asked Gwen innocently.

"N-nothing." he barely stammered in response.

At the conclusion of the song the two couples rejoined their original pairings, but not before Jeremy Brookfield whispered an invitation into Ianto's ear. He replied with a warm smile, took Tosh's hand, and followed the Brookfields into the VIP section.

The screens from the contact lens feeds went blank in front of Gwen and Owen just as they lost visual on them on the CCTV feed as well. The two disappeared into the gray distorted portion of the the picture, obscured by the more-advanced jamming tech in place in that section of the club.

"Let's roll!" announced Owen, gathering himself to his professional responsibilities again. A few moments later, they were in the club.

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Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post! Busy here and it took longer to get though this chapter than I anticipated due to lots of detailed movements to spell out. Please let me know what you thought! Reviews, questions and constructive criticism are all welcome! Stay tuned for more in coming days! Thanks again for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen and Owen make their way to the bar and find two open stools. Jack is not far off, midway between the bar and the dance floor. With a glance back towards them, nods are exchanged. All are alert and ready to act when/if the signal is dropped.

In the large booth at the center of the intimate VIP section, Ianto gentlemanly gestures to Toshiko to slide into the seat before him. Elena Brookfield shimmies in from the other side with the two men then serving as book ends. Introductions are made. More champaign is distributed. Elena blinks slowly, as if the bubbles are sweetly swimming behind her eyes. Ianto drapes his arm over the seat behind Tosh as if he does it everyday and she leans into him comfortably, even playing with the buttons on his waistcoat. Jeremy mirrors this posture, wrapping his arm behind his wife.

"So are you two from around here or just visiting? We would have noticed you on the local scene before." Asks Elena as she casually reaches over to tuck in a stray lock of Tosh's hair. When retracting her hand she not-so-casually runs the back of her fingers along Tosh's cheek, eliciting a blush.

Sensing Toshiko's momentary flustered state, Ianto answers "We are visiting from London but I am originally from here, dropping in to fulfill some family obligations. Desperately needed a night out away from that lot though. We saw this place mentioned on a few social networking boards as a place to meet, umm, interesting like-minded couples, and so here we are." He punctuates things with his most winning smile.

"Staying with family then?" Elena presses.

"No, thankfully." Replies Tosh, now recovered. "We have a suite in lovely hotel not far from here."

"Well we are very grateful that you came out tonight..." Croons Mr. Brookfield. Just behind the backs of the two ladies Jeremy reaches over and runs his fingers slowly down the back of Ianto's hand from wrist to fingertips. "Very, very grateful."

Ianto masks an uncomfortable shudder well, smiles back and puts his hand on Toshiko's bare shoulder, tracing small circles with his thumb. He could manage the dancing just fine, but that more intimate gesture had his mind fleeing to the only person who he is currently interested in touching him in such a way. The person who Ianto has been tracking in his peripheral vision since the coated man came into the club a few minutes ago. Ianto suddenly finds himself eager to get this mission over with.

Ianto takes a sip from his champaign flute to steady his thoughts again. He let's his eyes heavily sweep up and down the two marks then asks in a deep hushed tone "So why don't we all call it a night and get out of here then. Someplace less crowded."

"Wish we could blue-eyes, but we have to wait for the final magic trick of the night." Replies Jeremy, getting more shameless in his flirtations by the second.

"Oh?" Asks Tosh with a coy tip of her head.

"You see that gorgeous little trinket?" starts Elena, gesturing toward the device at the center of the table. "Well any minute now it is going to do a disappearing act! And then we will be all yours..." She trails off, seemingly entranced by the red lips of the woman next to her. Elena starts to lean in. Jeremy licks his lips in anticipation.

"Hold on," Toshiko interrupts Elena's advance with a gloved finger pressed to the other woman's lips. "You must be joking."

Jeremy scowls, perhaps due to the interrupted kiss, or perhaps due to his wife's indiscretion. "It's kind of hard to explain."

"You mean this little thing?" Toshiko reaches for the device but her arm is caught by Elena Brookfield, her eyes momentarily less champaign-flooded than the moment before. Two security guards also take a step forward towards the table. Toshiko throws her hands up in innocent mock-surprise. "Hey! No need for a fuss! If you don't want me touching it just say so!"

Elena seems to buy the act whole-heartedly, as she eases her grip and takes to stroking Tosh's arm instead. "Didn't mean to startle you dear...we're just very protective of it. It holds great meaning and value for us."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the booth. After a few long moments, the silence is broken by...a sneeze. Toshiko Sato sneezes daintily, but enough to elicit a giggle from Elena Brookfield and a "bless you, love!" from Jeremy.

Ianto Jones removes the red handkerchief from the front pocket of his vest, flicks it once to unfurl it, and hands it to his partner in crime.

Before she even has time to get it to her nose, a loud commotion by the bar has everyone's head whipping to the right. A petite brunette in a leather jacket just smacked a guy so hard across the face that the noise of palm to cheek contact even reached the spectators in the VIP section. The man at the receiving end of the assault staggers but then quickly rallies back to his feet, dark eyes squinted at her in a combination of surprise and rage. "Bloody fucking hell Gwen! What was that about?!"

The brunette jumps off her bar stool and staggers toward him, appearing to be more than a little bit inebriated. She pokes her finger at his chest and starts spouting a rant about "I am most certainly NOT too drunk to know what I do and don't want and that I will bloody DAMN WELL talk to whoever I want to even if we are engaged!" This verbal onslaught is also peppered with many colorful insults, several of which are in Welsh.

The bar patrons stand clear and look on in amusement and horror as the little fury grabs the nearest guy at the bar and snogs him _hard _to drive home her point. Her onlooking "fiancé" is now trying to run damage control with the approaching gang of security guards. Even as she is still holding onto the lapels of the thoroughly flustered innocent bystander, her date is loudly explaining how she "gets like this when she's drunk sometimes..."

Jeremy and Elena were on their feet a second after the crack echoed through the club. She was laughing like a school girl behind her hand and Jeremy, although also clearly amused, was motioning for the guards to get over there and run damage control ASAP before the situation grew beyond just those two.

Some of the only people not focused on the fun, in fact, were the two other people left in the booth that the Brookfields so hastily vacated. Wasting no time, Ianto takes advantage of his longer reach and grabs the device, quickly handing it to Toshiko's awaiting grasp. She is so focused on her upcoming task that she doesn't register the briefest shimmer that streams out from between Ianto's fingers when he hands it off to her.

Jack watches all of this from his spot in the club. Gwen and Owen are keeping up a good show on their part, but the Captain keeps one eye on the Brookfields to make sure they are sufficiently distracted. Jack sees the faint flash as Ianto hands the device to Tosh. He sees the look of surprise and confusion flit across Ianto's face as he stares at something in his hand before quickly regaining his composure. Whatever the item is, the younger man deftly deposits it in the inner breast pocket of his waistcoat, the red silk lining briefly exposed.

Then both Jack and Ianto are entirely focused on Toshiko. She holds the device first with just her thumbs and middle fingers. The device seemed to shudder in her grasp but then becomes more solid again. Her eyes narrow and she changes her grip pattern. Toshiko tips her head to the side as if she is listening to some melody only she is aware of. It is just like when she listens to the music of the rift in the hub. She switches her fingers on the device several more times before hitting the right resonance. The device shudders again and then fades from existence. Well, from existence in this particular corner of space and time anyway.

Tosh smiles broadly at Ianto and then Jack, easily finding the Captain's face in the crowd as being one of the only patrons not facing the commotion. This is not Tosh's smile of seduction that she had painted on most of the evening. This is her patented Tosh-just-did-something-quite-clever-and-is-chuffe d-with-herself smile that the team of Torchwood 3 is much more used to.

But there is not much time for this revelry now. Security, finding it hard to sort out who was at fault in the loud domestic row that took place at the bar, is now not-so-gracefully hauling both Gwen and Owen towards the exit. The other patrons look as if they don't quite know what to do with themselves for a moment, so the benevolent hosts announce that the next round will be on the house. The party quickly picks right up where it had left off. With this pesky issue sorted the Brookfields turn their attention back to their new friends only to find an empty booth.

Had they turned around just five seconds earlier they would have seen Ianto vaulting over the opposite railing and then extending both arms to lift Toshiko down. They were already out the back door and into the cool night air.

With his team in the clear, Captain Jack Harkness walks right out the front door. He rounds the corner, quickly retrieves the valet ticket from Ianto with a wink, and picks up the sports car that the couple had arrived in. Toshiko and Ianto are picked up by the SUV two blocks away. Exactly 10 minutes after their clean getaway, the team meet at their pre-arranged rendezvous point on the top of a nearby parking garage.

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_Sorry it took so long to post this chapter! Sometimes the more technical details of a story are harder to write than the fun parts with dancing and feelings. That being said, the next chapter should be a fun one to write! Please do stay tuned! And take a moment to write a review or offer a constructive question or comment! Thanks again for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

Jack pulled up next to the Torchwood SUV, smiling at the scene before him. Gwen was hugging Tosh and raving about her performance that evening. Owen was rubbing his cheek still from where Gwen had struck him, wincing a bit, but even he could not help but get caught up in the good vibes from the successful mission. Owen extended a congratulatory hand to Ianto and muttered something that would pass as a compliment from the usually-snarky doctor.

Ianto and Tosh took out their contact lenses. They all took a few moments to recap the evening, Tosh explaining how she was fairly positive that the device would not make a return. "It's like I _felt_ it leave for good. It's a shame it was locked to that location only for when it phased into this dimension. I would have loved to have had a chance to study it further. It's like it was partly sentient. It was fascinating, really."

"Well, it seems we have all found something to be fascinated with this evening." Jack said to the group, although his eyes were firmly fixed on Ianto Jones. Toshiko caught this and looked to Owen, hoping to see even the faintest bit of that same look in his eye directed towards her. She caught his eye for a moment before he glanced down at the pavement uncomfortably.

"Well I certainly got the raw end of the deal tonight! Ianto and Tosh got to play James Bond, Gwen got to clock me like I know she has always dreamed of doing, Jack apparently enjoyed the show, and I have nothing to show for it but a sore face!" Owen exclaimed, although it seemed like he was trying to sound more pissed of than he actually was. Owen has different shades and grades to his sarcasm, much like the different selections of coffee served at Torchwood. This was a blonde roast trying to pass itself off as something darker.

"Tell you what Owen" replied Jack, tossing keys to the shorter man "here's your consolation prize. Feel free to use the convertible for the weekend. You can give it one last hurrah before we turn it in on Monday. Only condition is that you have to give the ladies each a ride home. It's been a successful but long evening and I am happy to lock up the hub so you can all get home. Ianto I'll drive you in the SUV if that's alright?"

"Oh course, Sir."

Before parting ways, Ianto approached Tosh, took her black-gloved hand in his, and bowed down to kiss it. He leaned in so only she could hear. "Thanks for the dance, Tosh."

Before he could pull back she placed one hand on his cheek and kissed the other cheek gently. "Thank you, Ianto. It was lovely." Then, with a warm smile and a quick nod, she climbed into the front seat of the convertible.

Gwen sat in the middle of the small back seat with her arms spread across the headrests. Owen gave them each a wink, cranked the music, revved the engine, and burnt rubber. Tosh had her dancing shoes off by now and held them above her head, laughing, as they sped off.

Ianto Jones, still riding the high of the evening, whole-heartedly laughed at the disappearing car of alien-fighting-heroes suddenly turned joy-riding teenagers. Just as he turned to the SUV he was roughly thrown back against the car by a very eager Captain Jack Harkness. Between the impact, the rough kisses that were soon owning his mouth and neck, and the hungry look in Jack's eyes, Ianto had the wind thoroughly knocked out of him. Jack held Ianto against the vehicle with one hand on his hip, the other pinning a hand above his head, and the pressure of the length of his body pressed against Ianto. Jack slowly ground his pelvis against his startled lover in such a way that made them both emit low growls.

Jack smiled against Ianto's lips and joked "How is it that even when you aren't saying actual words you still sound deliciously Welsh?"

"Dim ond yr hyn yr ydych yn ei wneud i mi, cariad." breathed Ianto.

Just as Jack went to attack Ianto's plush lips again, Ianto caught his cheek with his free hand and brought his lust-clouded eyes into focus on his own. "Not that I am complaining Jack, but what has brought all this on?"

Jack drew back a bit. Ianto rested more comfortably back against the car with Jack leaning on one hand, his other lightly stroking up and down Ianto's side.

"Seeing you dance tonight was just..." he met Ianto's curious gaze. Jack actually sounded _shy _and hesitant. "Amazing." he finally finished, the word coming out in barely more than a throaty breath. "Usually when we are together you let me lead, so to speak. And there's nothing wrong with that. You are so responsive and it's like you anticipate my every move and counter at just the right moment. But seeing you on that dance floor tonight was...different. The way you took command with Toshiko and Mr. Brookfield in your arms. _God Ianto! _I couldn't keep my eyes off of you! I just wanted to be the one you were leading like that. Preferably though with less clothing in the way." Jack ended with a mischievous grin and nuzzled Ianto's neck.

Ianto blushed deeply. He rested his head back against the car, looking up at the clear starry sky, and searched for the right words. "Jack, I, I mean you...Jack you have been to dozens of galaxies. You have _been with, _what, hundreds of lovers? I am just in awe that you choose to be with me. What could I possibly do in regards to, leading, that wouldn't bore you."

Jack snapped his head up. His brow furrowed and his voice dropped to a very serious register. He furtively locked his eyes on Ianto's. "Ianto Jones...every day...everything you do...you never cease to amaze me. Just being near you damn near _overwhelms_ me sometimes. You could never bore me. You are something entirely new in my existence. I count my lucky stars everyday that we get to share this time together."

Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto deeply but slowly. Ianto was happy that Jack kissed with his eyes closed, meaning that he didn't see the one joyful tear that got past Ianto's defenses and slid down his cheek. They rested their foreheads together and breathed the same air for a few long moments. Ianto straightened up and gently side-stepped out and away from his position against the SUV. He extended one hand to Jack.

"Jack. May I have this dance?"

"Why Mr. Jones, I thought you'd never ask. But there's no music." replied Jack, although he was already moving into Ianto's embrace.

Ianto took Jack's one hand in his and placed the other firmly, fingers splayed and gently pulsing, on the small of Jack's back. He drew him in but kept their bodies a hair's breath apart from actually touching. Ianto knew that restraint was not Jack's strong suit and that the heat passing between them would be intoxicating to his captain. Ianto's blue eyes seemed to drop to a deeper shade of indigo just as his voice dropped to a lower, velvety tone. "Yna gadewch i ni wneud ein cerddoriaeth eu hunain."

Jack never did learn any Welsh, but he understood that phrase perfectly.

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Translations, courtesy of google translate:

Dim ond yr hyn yr ydych yn ei wneud i mi, cariad. = It's just what you do to me, love.

Yna gadewch i ni wneud ein cerddoriaeth eu hunain. = Then let's make our own music.

Thanks for reading! Still more to come! Please review if you are moved to do so. It means a lot to me and generally spurs me on to posting again soon.


	10. Chapter 10

Owen deftly pulled the highly maneuverable sleek car into a spot right in front of Gwen's building the flashed a full smile at the girls, clearly chuffed with himself and his driving skills. "Okay Cooper! Out you go!"

As Gwen hopped out of the back of the car she smiled and winked at Toshiko. Gwen couldn't help but notice that Owen seemed a bit eager to get the trio down to a duo.

"Have a good night you two! Don't get into any trouble!" Gwen called behind her as she fiddled about, unlocking the door to her building. As she started bolting up the stairs she could be heard calling out to her fiancé "Oi! Rhys! What do you think about taking dance lessons?"

And then there were two.

There was a bit of an awkward silence. When Toshiko turned back from watching Gwen enter her building she caught it. Owen was looking at her. He wasn't just _regarding_ her or glancing in her direction. He _saw_ her. It took all her courage to not look away nervously. She smiled slowly.

And then it started to rain.

"Shit! Where the hell it the button!" Shouted Owen. At first Tosh instinctually held her hands above her head but then quickly remembered the devices strapped to her hands, as well as the beautiful black silk gloves. She huddled over then trying to shield them with her own body. Thankfully Owen found the button and got the roof in place fairly quickly.

They looked back at each other, thoroughly drenched even in just the few moments of the downpour, now laughing hysterically. It dulled to a chuckle after a bit, and Owen put the car into drive once more.

"Okay Tosh, let's get you home and out of those wet clothes." Owen grimaced. He immediately knew how that didn't quite sound like he had intended it to. "I mean..."

Toshiko responded cooly "I actually may need your help with that."

"Pardon?!" Owen _squeaked_. He actually squeaked.

"You did such a good job of taping these things to my hands I may need you to help me cut the tape off so that they aren't damaged. I mean, if you don't mind." Toshiko continued. "And Owen..." she purred.

"Yeah?" Owen responded with a bit of a rasp as he chanced a glance in her direction. _Jesus. _He thought. Her wet hair and smoky eyes gave her a kind of wild look that he was unaccustomed to. One drop of rain water fell from her locks and slowly made its way down her bare spine.

"...you just missed the last two turns to my flat."

"Right. What?! Oh! Yeah! Right. No problem. And yeah, I can help you with those things." Owen took the next round-about and got them to her building within record time, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the road now.

As Toshiko slipped her shoes back on she was surprised to find the passenger side door opened for her, Owen's hand extended a hand to help her up. As she slipped her hand into his the thought crossed her mind that she really wished she was not wearing gloves at that particular moment. Skipping over puddles in the rain, they kept holding hands for just a few beats more than necessary until they reached the canopy at her door. Tosh reached into her handbag for her key as Owen shuffled about and then followed her in.

She flicked on the lights, kicked off her shoes and tossed her handbag aside. She was moving away from him towards, assumedly, her bedroom, all glistening back and swaying hips. "Would you like a drink Owen? I've got some beer in the fridge. I'm just going to get out of these wet clothes. There's a towel in the powder room off to the right if you want to dry off a bit. Just help yourself."

"Cool. Thanks Tosh."

Owen removed his wet shoes then ducked into the bathroom and ruffled a towel through his hair. He then found himself scanning the sparse room for some mouthwash. _Wait, why am I looking for mouthwash? That's something I usually do when I am invited up to a woman's flat and...oh. _He stared at his own image in the mirror with his hands anchored on either side of the sink, like holding onto something solid and cold would help ground him from whatever his subconscious was imagining. He took a few deep breaths. _This. Is. Tosh. Your colleague. Well, also a friend. She was just playing a part tonight. This is Tosh who stares at computers all day, and covers for your ass when you come into work hung over, and invents bloody brilliant programs and contraptions that no human being should be able to so much as even imagine, and who secretly has a wicked side like that time she made it so that your access code was "owenlikestoshagfluffybunnies" for a whole month. _He laughed to himself. It was silly really, thinking of Tosh suddenly as...a whole other possibility. He stole one last glance in the mirror before walking out of the powder room. Owen Harper was surprised to see his own visage tinged with a little bit of melancholy after having just talked himself down from, well, mouthwash.

Just as Owen was surfacing from the inside of the fridge with a cold bottle in each hand, Toshiko appeared from her bedroom. She looked more like "normal" Tosh and Owen found himself relieved for that. Her hair was pinned up, her makeup washed off, and, save or the gloves, she had shed her costume of the evening. Now she wore a black tank top and a comfy looking grey skirt that swayed around her ankles when she walked. He did, however, find himself wondering how he never noticed before tonight how gracefully she walked. It must have been all that dancing. Then she grabbed a beer from his hand and unceremoniously opened it against the kitchen counter with a smack. They clinked the necks of the bottles together. _This is just Tosh._ But with this mundane thought came a little swell of warmth.

"So, shall I deglove you in the living room m'lady?" Owen asked.

"Sure!" Toshiko replied cheerfully. The two moved to the sofa, Tosh grabbing a pair of scissors on the way. "I'm afraid I will need your help with the silk gloves as well. With my fingers covered I can't manage all those little buttons and I worry that just pulling them off with damage the devices underneath."

They got to the sofa, Owen facing sideways with Tosh sitting cross-legged facing him. Her bare toes just peeked out from underneath the hem of her pooled skirt. She held out one gloved arm and Owen started on the little buttons that ran up the side. It was slow-going, even for the man with above average fine-motor skills. Holding her arm in mid-air soon proved uncomfortable and so Tosh rested her fingers on Owen's knee. No need to ask first. It was actually a comfortable silence they shared now since there was a task to focus on.

Slowly the glove was peeled back, exposing more skin and wiring little by little. Dr. Harper then gently held her hand in his as he tugged the silk sheath off each finger, then finally pulled the whole hand out. He kept holding her hand steady in his as he carefully snipped off the medical tape, turning it periodically as needed. When it was all removed he carefully put it on the coffee table, then took up Tosh's hand to pick off the last little pesky bits of tape. It was probably something she could have managed, but he didn't mind. He then stroked her hand and arm, feeling for any other sticky bits he may have missed.

"All set then. Ready for the next one?"

"Umm, yeah. Yeah." She repeated in a whisper. It seemed she did not want to break herself away from watching Owen work. She met his eyes with a nervous smile. He returned it immediately. A few extra second ticked by without either breaking eye contact. She presented her remaining gloved arm to him. Only then did Owen realize that he had been absentmindedly continually stroking the soft skin of her arm and hand the whole time.

Owen set to work on the buttons again but this time it felt like the slow pace was not due as much to the difficulty of the task but rather that he just wanted to take his time. By the third button or so he had a technique down that had one hand doing most of the work as his other hand held Tosh's arm steady, the thumb of that hand sliding under the gap in the glove after each button was undone. As he worked on the next button, that thumb was tracing small circles on her exposed skin. Toshiko had to consciously keep herself from gasping now with each of those minute little movements. Her skin was hypersensitive after having been covered for several hours. With each little button the cool air would hit the newly-exposed patch of skin, followed by the subtle warm stroke of Owen's hand.

When all the buttons were done he set about removing the glove and then took up the scissors like last time. Toshiko noted that he appeared very focused still, and yet there was something else about his countenance that seemed to indicate he was thinking about something else very hard.

Without raising his eyes from his work Owen remarked. "You really are a lovely dancer, Tosh."

Her initial instinct was to fall into her usual habit of self-deprecation. It would be very easy to make a comment about how she was just following Ianto's lead. She took a quick steadying breath. She swallowed once.

"Thank you, Owen."

She allowed him to work in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you dance, Owen?"

"Me? Well, nothing like you and the tea-boy did tonight, but I have been told I can actually hold my own to something that is not too fast."

He was finishing up now and giving her arm some last checking. Just as he was about to draw his hands back from her arm when Tosh twisted her wrist around and lightly clasped his hand in hers. Without any hesitation he closed his hand around hers. They both just sat there, looking at how their hands fit together so naturally.

One breath.

Two breaths.

"Would you like to dance, Tosh?" Owen Harper raised his eyes to meet Toshiko's. "Would you like to dance with me, right now?"

She met his gaze. She expected to be nervous. Sure, her heart was pounding like crazy, but her head was unexpectedly very calm.

"I would like that very much, Owen."

They rose in unison from the sofa, breaking contact to go around the coffee table. Owen took to the middle of the room as Tosh quickly tapped at the iPod that was mounted to her stereo.

Frank Sinatra's "All the Way" came on, the smooth voice of 'Ol Blue Eyes soon filling the room. Owen extended his hand. Tosh placed hers in his. His other hand slid from her hip to her lower back and softly drew her close. She wrapped her free arm around his shoulder, her hand coming to rest on the back of his neck. She rested her chin in the crook of his neck. He smelled like aftershave and a little bit like formaldehyde and _Owen_. They swayed and turned and they _fit_.

Owen pulled back enough to face her and asked "How did you guess that I like Frank Sinatra, Tosh?" wit a suspicious furrowed brow.

Toshiko Sato did not guess that Owen liked Frank Sinatra. Toshiko may have, on a quiet day in the hub, hacked into Owen's iPod via the blue tooth connection and looked over all his play lists. The one titled "date night" may have caught her eye and may have been copied onto her own iPod.

"Just a lucky guess is all." she replied with a small smirk.

"Hmmm" he said, pulling her closer again. His cheek was brushing her hair. It smelled like orchids and soldering smoke and _Tosh_.

"Tosh, has this turned into a date?" he asked, still holding her close, although they both stilled.

"Does it feel like a date?" She whispered.

"Yeah. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, yes I am. And Owen?"

"Yeah, Tosh?

"You really are a lovely dancer too."

She felt him smile against her cheek. Toshiko's heart leapt. She made Owen Harper smile. Of all her accomplishments this evening, this was by far the one that meant the most.

He brushed a chaste kiss against her cheek.

'Ol Blue Eyes crooned, and they danced.

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_Author's note: Thanks for reading everyone! This bit was a lot of fun to write. I find myself really falling in love with this pairing more and more. _

_There will be just one more brief chapter to wrap up an unanswered question. Stay tuned!_

_Please do review! This is my first time writing Tosh/Owen romantically so I would love to hear how it was received. _


	11. Chapter 11

The parking garage turned private dance floor soon proved to be too far from both the hub and Ianto's flat. Maddeningly so. There was however, a lovely hotel only 3 blocks away.

It was around 1:00am when two dashing men strode through the doors of the lobby with a sense of great officialness about them. The younger of the two walked directly up to the desk and flashed an ID that was not from the police but rather from someplace called "Torchwood" which faintly rang a bell for the receptionist, like an echo, or deja vu.

"Ianto Jones, Torchwood. My associate and I are here on official business and will need the key to one of your rooms with a westerly facing view at once. It is an urgent matter of public safety and your immediate cooperation and utmost discretion is required...Sally." He ended his demands with a disarmingly charming smile, using the name displayed on the young woman's name tag. He held out his hand expectantly.

Exactly 45 seconds later Mr. Jones and his "associate" watched the inside of the elevator doors close shut. Exactly 1 second after that Mr. Jones had Captain Jack Harkness pinned up against the wall of said elevator. In between heated kisses Jack was able to fish the key card out of Ianto's pocket.

"The penthouse! I'm impressed! It must have been your smile. Ugh...god right there."

Jack's shirt was half-way unbuttoned and Ianto was paying special attention to the spot just below Jack's clavicle that always made him weak in the knees.

"Actually it was probably the sense of urgency that I instilled in her. Clerks don't know every vacant room off-hand but they always know when the penthouse is vacant. And the penthouse faces the west, for the sunsets." Ianto explained quickly in between nips and lashes of his tongue along Jack's pulse point.

Jack made a noise that was an impressed chuckle as well as a moan all at once. He was pulling Ianto's shirt from his trousers, then pulled him forward by his belt loops and arched his back, bringing their hips together. Ianto may have been leading, but Jack was no stranger to this dance.

"Why west?" Jack mumbled against Ianto's lips.

Ianto jerked back, looking a little annoyed at the interruption. "What?"

"Why did you say it had to be facing west?" Jack added innocently.

"Oh! It made the whole thing sound more official and purposeful than telling her that I needed a room to get you naked in as soon as possible."

Jack had a smitten, flushed grin on his face like a kid with a crush, his eyes flitting across Ianto's face.

"What?" Ianto asked.

"You. Just, you. You're brilliant."

The doors of the elevator opened on the top floor of the hotel. The two "associates" quickly entered the door to the penthouse suite.

The dance continued until around 5am.

At around 5:35am Ianto threw Jack a bottle of water, compliments of the well-socked mini-bar. He then set about trying to locate his and Jack's clothes that had been discarded throughout the suite. Ianto had just put on his trousers but Jack was lounging on the expansive bed wearing nothing but a high thread-count sheet and a very content expression. Jack was decidedly not very interested in locating his clothing. Ianto found his waistcoat hanging from a lamp in the foyer and patted down the pockets. He found what he was looking for and returned to Jack. He climbed over the bed towards his lover for one more kiss, then flopped down on his back beside Jack, holding the small, sleek silver flask up for display.

"Jack, what do you make of this?"

"Oh! I mean to ask you about that before I got, well, distracted."

The two exchanged silly smirks. Ianto wondered to himself if they were becoming like one of those couples who made the same faces. He was definitely picking up Jack's mischievous grin, and Jack was getting better at furrowing his brow.

"It looks like a vial of some kind. Liquid inside?" Jack ventured.

Ianto shook it next to his ear. "Yup. Liquid alright. We can run some scans on it back at the hub, let Owen take a sample before I archive it."

Jack turned on his side and propped himself up on one elbow. His eyes were dead serious now.

"Ianto Jones you listen to me and listen to me good. You will not tamper with that vial in any way and you will most certainly not pack it away into the archives. That is meant for you. It's what you need most in the universe and you are to carry it with you at all times, understand?"

"But Jack, you said yourself, the gifts delivered by the device had the potential to mess up destined timelines."

"Ianto I know for certain that you are hardly the next Hitler. You are one of the best people I have ever known. We lay a lot on the line for this job. Maybe the universe owes us some favors, you know? Now...with you at all times. That's an order."

Ianto tried very hard to not giggle, which resulted in a face that was overly mock-serious.

Jack felt himself smiling in return. "What?!"

Ianto cleared his throat and got his office-face together. "It's a bit hard to take your 'captain voice' seriously when you are wearing nothing but a sheet, _sir._"

Jack couldn't suppress his full-on Jack grin. "Would it help if I put on the coat? You did always love that coat."

Ianto looked off indifferently "it might..."

Jack bounded out of the bed, suddenly very interested in finding that particular item of clothing.

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17 months, 12 days and 15 hours later, Jack and Ianto stood in Thames House in London. Side by side they faced the threat of the 465. They would not yield. A gas was released. All would fall. A small silver vial was removed from Ianto's breast pocket. It's presence had been such an everyday habit that it was almost forgotten for what it really was. It was what Ianto Jones needed most in the universe.

Hours later Jack Harkness dragged himself out of the darkness, like clawing over ice-cold broken glass. He jolted up with a gasp, frantically flailing out his hands. He was searching for the hands that were so often there to greet him when he came back from the darkness. Without missing a beat, like a practiced dance, a thin-fingered steady hand caught his searching grasp.

"I'm right here, Cariad. I'm right here."

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Author's note: What? See what I did there? Where did that COE fix-it come from? When I set out writing this I actually didn't plan that but the opportunity arose the and universe smiled on our dashing heroes.

Thanks everyone for reading and following and reviewing. I means the world to me.

If you enjoyed the Tosh/Owen action, please keep an eye out for future postings. I have an idea for a very unconventional post-"death" romance fic for those two.

Until next time, see you in the Hub, kids (or possibly in 221b and the Yard, too many ideas crowding my brain and my writing journal!).


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